Chamber of Deputies
The Chamber of Deputies of the Kingdom of Italy '''is the lower house of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Italy, which serves as the primary force behind the government. Together with the Senate of the Kingdom, it constitutes one of the chambers of the parliament. There are 508 seats in the chamber, each occupied by a deputy who represents a constituency somewhere in the kingdom. The chamber plays a more active role in Italian politics than the senate - it is presided over by the President of the Chamber of Deputies, who takes the function of a Speaker, and is led by the Prime Minister and his ruling party. Elections to the chamber are held every five years. The Chamber is led by a President, a Vice-President and their secretaries respectively. Upon their election, the President and Vice-President give up their former party affiliation, though they retain their constitutencies. The President and Vice-President do not vote on bills, except to break a tie, which happens in rare and exceptional circumstances. The King has the power to dismiss the President or Vice-President, or any deputy, as well as the power to convene and prorogue the Chamber at will. Constitutional Role '''Powers and Definitions Creation and Leadership Under the Albertine Statue of 1848, which serves as the constitution of the Kingdom of Italy, the members of the Chamber of Deputies are popularly elected according to the will of the people. Deputies are required to be Italian citizens and at least thirty years old. The chamber elects its own President, Vice-President ,and Secretaries at the beginning of a new session following an election. The Prime Minister is, by nature, the leader of the party with the greatest amount of seats in the Chamber. The King can, however, appoint the leader of a minority party as Prime Minister if it is his prerogative. Under these circumstances, a minority government would be formed. If a Deputy ceases, for whatever reason, to fulfill his functions, it is required that a by-election be held in his constituency as soon as possible. No Deputy may be arrested while the chamber is in session, unless he is caught committing a crime. The Chamber has the right to impeach the King's Ministers and take them for trial before the Senate. Official Requirements and Rules Before taking office, Deputies take an oath to be loyal to the King, to loyally observe the Statute and the laws of the State, and to exercise their functions with the sole aim of the inseparable good of the King and of the nation. Deputies serve without pay. They cannot be held accountable for opinions expressed and votes given in the chamber. Sittings of the Chamber are public, but they can deliberate in closed session when requested in written form by at least ten members. An absolute majority of Deputies have to be present for the sitting to be legal. Deliberations are taken by majority vote. All bills have to be examined by the committees, and have to be approved article by article by both Chambers before being transmitted to the King for his approval. If a bill is rejected in either chamber or vetoed by the King, it cannot be reintroduced during the same session. Every citizen over the age of 21 has the right to send petitions to the chamber by way of the proper authorities. The petitions are then examined by the Chamber through their committees to determine if they are worthy of consideration. If they are considered worthy, they are sent to the responsible minister or offices. The Chamber of Deputies can only hear from its own members, the Ministers and the Government's Commissioners. The Chamber has the sole authority to judge the validity and eligibility of its own members,and to establish its own internal rules regarding the exercise of its functions. Current Composition Basic Information The Chamber is currently led by the coalition of the Liberal Union and the People's Party, under Prime Minister Aurelio Sabbatini of the Liberal Union and Deputy Prime Minister Marco Esposito of the People's Party. The current President, Lodovico Beneventi, was a member of the Liberal Union prior to taking up the Presidency immediately after the resignation of Alessandro Ricci. Composition by Figures There are currently no independent deputies in the Chamber. A majority of 255 Deputies is required to form a working, majority government. No party currently has this figure - the Liberal Union form a government in coalition with the People's Party. The following lists the number of Deputies based on their party affiliation: * Liberal Union (Dark Blue): 219 seats of 508 total. * Italian Fasci of Combat (Dark Grey): 88 seats of 508 total. * Italian Reformists Socialist Party (Dark Red): 88 seats of 508 total. * Italian Workers' Revolutionary Party (Light Red): 61 seats of 508 total. * People's Party (Light Blue): 48 seats of 508 total. * Conservative National Party: 3 seats of 508 total. * President and Vice-President of the Chamber (Light Grey): 1 seat of 508 total.